


Keep Me Around

by DetectiveJoan



Category: The Bright Sessions (Podcast)
Genre: Alcohol, Coda, Episode: 56 Dr. Bright, F/F, Femslash, Girls Kissing, Post-Finale, Season/Series 04, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 04:12:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15088730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DetectiveJoan/pseuds/DetectiveJoan
Summary: “If I….if I asked you to do something that probably wasn’t a good idea? Just once more before you leave all this—” Sam gestures vaguely to the empty office “—would you? For me?”(Coda to Episode 56: Dr. Bright)





	Keep Me Around

**Author's Note:**

> **Content Warnings:** Joan is 7 years Sam’s senior, her former therapist, and the sister of the man she broke up with like an hour ago. They’re also drinking. If any of that hits your squick button, please give this one a pass.
> 
> Title from [the song by Annie Stela.](https://anniestela.bandcamp.com/track/keep-me-around)

Joan finishes moving file boxes to the car while Sam waits in the empty office. When she returns for the final time, Sam is standing at the tall windows, looking out at the park across the street. There’s nothing left in the room but the two of them, the scotch, their glasses, and a final box of odds and ends sitting in the middle of the floor. Joan can hear the muffled ticking of the clock inside it.

She joins Sam at the window; it’s a beautiful day, even though everything feels slightly off-balance and malleable in the way that endings always do.

“Can I say I’m kind of glad you didn’t always run the most ethical practice?” Sam says, glancing over at her.

Joan eyes her, but can’t guess what she’s thinking. “You are?”

“Yeah. Kind of. The sketchy stuff you did worked out in the end for us. We got Mark back, and you and I...well, I’m glad we’re friends.” Sam takes another sip of her drink and grimaces as she swallows. “Are you really gonna turn over a new leaf? Walk out of here and just leave all that stuff behind like it never happened?”

“Resolving not to repeat your mistakes doesn’t mean you stop acknowledging them,” Joan say carefully. “I’m fairly certain you and I could have become friends without my...taking up certain questionable practices.”

“Maybe.” Sam fiddles with her glass and doesn’t look at her.

“Where are you going with this?” Joan asks.

“If I….if I asked you to do something that probably wasn’t a good idea? Just once more before you leave all this—” she gestures vaguely to their surroundings “—would you? For me?”

That’s absolutely the kind of question that Joan should answer with a negative, but between the scotch and the nostalgia born of seeing the office empty, she finds herself speaking honestly before her brain has decided to show up to the conversation. “I would probably do anything for you, Sam.”

Sam turns her head, and finally meets Joan’s gaze. “Would you kiss me?” she says softly.

Joan’s breath catches, and she can’t answer.

“I just—I need to know if I’m making the right choice. Not going with Mark. Staying here. With you.”

“Sam,” Joan says, and it’s one part warning, one part pain, all edged with the knowledge that she truly isn’t prepared to deny Sam anything she wants.

“No, I mean—there are a lot of reasons for me to stay. I know that. But...you could be one of them.” She turns to face Joan more fully, and takes her hand in a way that is nothing more than a loose tangling of fingers. “Couldn’t you?”

“I can’t—” Joan breaks off, even as she brings her free hand up to cup Sam’s face and pull her closer. “I can’t be everything you needed Mark to be.”

“What about everything I need you to be?” Sam whispers.

Sam is so close to her, and her fingers are cool to the touch, and Mark’s voice from that morning is echoing in Joan’s ear telling her to _live for herself,_ and oh Lord this is definitely not what he meant, and yet

And yet

She leans in, lets her lips brush against Sam’s for the briefest moment. When she pulls back, Sam follows, pressing forward for another kiss, and then another.

And then there’s nothing but the sound of their breathing, and the muffled ticking of the clock, and a stillness that feels like waiting, but Joan’s not sure exactly what she’s waiting _for._

When she opens her eyes, Sam is smiling at her softly.

“Again?” she asks, and Joan’s can’t say no.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm DetectiveJoan and you can find me on [tumblr](http://detectivejoan.tumblr.com/)


End file.
